Pantry Chuckwagon Soup

I just threw this together for a quick lunch. So easy to make! And leftovers freeze well if you want to cook ahead, or have things ready for lunches.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 5 quarts

Ingredients

• Puree

• 49 1⁄2 ounces chicken broth
• 15  ounces pinto beans
• 14 1⁄2 ounces  sliced carrots (include liquid)
• 8  ounces  frozen peas, thawed
• 8  ounces tomato sauce
• 6  ounces country ham
• 4  ounces  chopped green chilies

• Add to puree

• 28  ounces diced tomatoes (include liquid)
• 16  ounces  chili with beans
• 1  cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1  teaspoon chili powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
•  hot sauce (optional)
•  salt (country ham is salty) (optional)

Directions

1. Using a food processor, blender or immersion blender. puree chicken broth, pinto beans (with liquid), sliced carrots (with liquid), peas, tomato sauce, ham, and green chilies.
2. Place puree in your soup pot and add diced tomatoes with liquid, chili, corn, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and black pepper. Taste soup first to see if you want salt, because country ham is salty. Also if you subbed regular smoked ham you might want some salt.
3. Bring soup to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes to give the soup time to blend flavors. Add hot sauce if you like.
4. Serve hot with crackers and you can freeze leftovers for probably a month or so.